Who would steal vegetables from nuns? Someone snuck into the the Dominican Farm and Ecology Centre in Wicklow, Ireland, and stole an entire field of Brussels sprouts right out of the ground. Sister Julie Newman believes they will be sold for a high price as organic holiday fare. The sprouts, valued at around €300, were ready for harvest after two years of growth.

"It's not just the monetary value. It's when you think of the effort that people went to in caring for them," Sr Newman added.

She said the nuns believe that the sprouts will now be sold as high-end organic produce for the Christmas market.

The vegetables are biennial, so it takes two years to bring Brussels sprouts to full maturity.

While some produce at the farm has been stolen before, Sr Newman says the thievery was never on this scale.

"I feel sorry for our staff. They have minded them and cared for them all along, and someone came in the dead of the night and stole all of them.

"We would have the odd bit of pilfering of potatoes and onions, but this was deliberate. It wasn't just someone looking for a few vegetables for their dinner.